Cooke Christmas Card, 2017
Larry’s life-long dream came true. Gwen immortalized the collection by creating this web site.
Just waiting on the Smithsonian!
Cooke Christmas Card, 2016.
Having managed to avoid politics for nearly 40 years, the Cookes couldn't ignore the shocking 2016 presidential election results.
After weeks of emails, group texts, conversations and concessions, they agreed on this final version — which might go down as one of their best.
However, when it came time to do the photo shoot, they realized Gwen had made good on her threat if Trump won, and had already took off for Canada...
Oh, and in case you forgot — they are White Sox fans.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2015.
Another card designed by Gwen, this time marking the launch of her successful graphic design business. Each card and matching ornament were produced using letterpress.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2014.
A recycled concept from 2002 as the family was working on a much bigger idea.
Make sure you check out the BONUS tab for the special 2014 add-on to this collection!
Cooke Christmas Card, 2013.
Reprisal of Larry's favorite Christmas card, updated to include a then current photo of the four kids.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2012.
Larry saw that Gwen possessed graphic talents, and taking the year off, let her have free reign over the design of the card. This was the beginning of Gwen's graphic design career, which has taken a decidedly upward trend since.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2011.
A noted year with the passing of Larry's mother.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2010.
The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, so it was only fitting that Arianna, a die-hard fan, helped conceptualize the Christmas Card. Of course, it didn't take her long, because she only had One Goal in mind.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2009.
The oven-baked "Cookies" never saw this one coming...
As with most of the cards, the kids never knew what Larry's end game was, so when he told them he was just shooting their feet, they were happy to comply.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2008.
Everyone's a critic. The Cookes fielded many calls from distraught recipients reporting their misspelled name on this card.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2007.
Fruit cakes can mature for months, and if stored properly, kept for years — prompting many to re-gift them.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2006.
Sending holiday cards is a way for many people to reach out and say hello to family and friends. While some use this time to tell of the good — and sometimes sad — things that have occurred, the Cookes crossed the line into TMI...
The Cooke's 2006 Holiday Letter
In March we celebrated with Arianna when she made the top ten finalists in American Idol. Her worldwind concert tour is winding down with stops left in Yellville, Arkansas and Holler, Maryland but has still found time to keep up with her studies and be the three-year starting shortstop for the Homewood Flossmoor Vikings Varsity softball team.
In May, Gwen came back to earth from her historic flight into space, having landed on the moon, mars and venus. She's been able to put her excitement aside long enough to concentrate her senior year and be accepted to her four college choices.
Austin has had a remarkable year of high school, beginning with his 2-stroke victory over Tiger Woods in the Masters this spring, he garnered a starting position on the H-F Sophomore golf team and has been a surprise with his dominance on the swim team.
As October brought the beautiful leaves, Gabriella had a face-to-face with Bill Gates and taught him a few new tricks in Microsoft Word. She's also enjoying a challenging 4th grade.
Karen and Larry had a typical year; lunch with The President and First Lady in June; African safari in November; making P.B.&J. sandwiches 5 days a week x 4 lunches; taking the daily train into the loop from the Flossmoor Metra Electric.
You gotta love it!
Cooke Christmas Card, 2005.
A Chicago World Series — The Cookes were in awe, and not just because Santa showed up impersonating Ozzie Guillen! That year, the White Sox set a playoff record winning 11 of 12 games (never been done before, or since), sweeping the Astros in the 2005 World Series.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2004.
In an effort to keep the kids engaged, Larry took inspiration from the digital music explosion, .mp3s and burning your own CDs. The result was a homemade, Christmas CD mix and a nod to one of his favorite television shows, Happy (holi) Days. Heyyy!
Production note: One of the more elaborate cards... incorporating Gwen, Arianna, Austin and Gabriella into a scene from the show... printing that image directly onto a CD... finding and adding the theme to the show into Gwen's Christmas music mix... sending through the mail while keeping the CD from cracking. (Larry later heard that Netflix reverse engineered his method.)
Cooke Christmas Card, 2003.
Like most 15 year olds, Gwen no longer wanted her image on the annual Christmas card. Determined to continue the tradition of featuring all four of the kids, Larry tricked Gwen into a cameo appearance of her hands only.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2002.
Today, there are millions — maybe billions — of commercial images available to everyone. In 2002, maybe there were thousands... but Larry found the perfect stock image for this year's theme.
A lot of fun, and many technical challenges were overcome to make this work — from creating the list of "C" names in perspective on the back of the parchment, to capturing the perfect expression on Arianna's face whispering into Santa's ear, and finally, Austin holding his hands at the right angle as he directed Santa's pen.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2001.
The four kids are featured with their dog Toby, along with Larry's red pen and desk carpet mousepad that's still in use today.
Cooke Christmas Card, 2000.
The card of the century, (Larry's words).
Pages were bound with red thread and printed in reverse, folded in, on translucent paper which yielded a very soft look and encouraged the recipient to hold it up to the light* to get a better look.
Each of the kids were on a page stacked in order, so if you did look through, you'd see Gwen as numeral "2" and the others as "0's," welcoming you to a new millennium.
*A technique Larry's mother used to enhance photos from the old family album.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1999.
Using everything he'd learned graphically, Larry wanted to create a classic looking card with subtle images of the family embedded within the illustration.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1998.
The photograph montage was inspired by the message on the inside of the card:
"T'was the night before Christmas
when all through the house...
only one creature was stirring,
it was our little mouse."
Included on the mantel is a tribute to Karen's dad who passed away earlier in the year.
Production note: Almost two, Gabriella was asked to reach for the cookies on the pantry shelf to capture this shot.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1997.
Featured on this card is a photo of Larry's father in his WWII army gear, in celebration of his life.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1996.
In Larry's desire to include Gabriella, daughter No. 3 — before she was born — he mailed this card in early December, without the tree top. The postman delivered this portion of the card in early January, doubling as her birth announcement.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1995.
Embracing the digital age, Larry cut his teeth mastering Photoshop on this card — cementing his career in graphic arts.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1994.
Gwendolyn, Arianna and Austin — Here they come a caroling.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1993.
Concerned about child labor laws, Larry gave the kids a year off to attempt a humorous tongue-in-cheek card.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1992.
Larry and Karen's son, Austin, is born.
As the family grew, Larry wanted to do something special. Tapping into his sister's photography talents, he set up a photo shoot, took a ton of photos... and the real fun began.
_____________________
Up on the housetop reindeer pause. Out jumps good old Larry Claus. Down through the chimney with lots of toys, all for the little ones' Christmas joys.
Up in their rooms, children not a peep — as the racket on the roof makes Karen weep. Since our little darlings came along — continuous sleep has said so long.
Ho! Ho! Ho! Who wouldn't go! Ho! Ho! Ho! Who wouldn't go! Up on the housetop, isn't it scary, down through the chimney with good old Larry.
First comes the stocking of Gwendolyn — oh, dear Santa, pack it in. Give her a dollie that laughs and cries, one that will open and shut her eyes.
Chorus
Arianna's stocking is next in line, if it's overflowing that would be fine. Give her a dollie too, that laughs and cries, now there will be no fighting and wet eyes.
Chorus
What goes in the stocking of Austin Michael — he's already asking for a Harley cycle. How about a hammer with lots of tacks — also a ball and a whip that cracks.
Chorus
Cooke Christmas Card, 1991.
Larry enlisted Gwendolyn and Arianna to hand color paper ornaments.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1990.
More inspiration arrives — Larry and Karen's second daughter, Arianna, is born.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1989.
Larry tapped into his ability to identify popular trends, and often found ways to incorporate them into the Christmas cards. In this case... Polaroids.
Polaroids were to the 80's what smartphones are today. Larry loved it, and used it a lot.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1988.
BAM!
Inspiration arrived just in time to carry Larry through the next 29 years — Gwendolyn, the first of four children was born late in the year. As the message implied, it was late going out.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1987.
Again, Larry leveraged the knowledge gained during his printing apprenticeship to design this card but also introduced a level of participation. In order to complete the top of the message, the recipient had to tuck the card under the flap of the envelope.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1986.
Larry leveraged the knowledge gained during his printing apprenticeship to design this card by "trapping" two spot colors, creating a perfect overlap, showing superb print quality and pre-press magic.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1985.
Larry leveraged the knowledge gained during his printing apprenticeship to design this card by printing white ink to create a halo around the type which wasn't common then or now.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1984.
Larry leveraged the knowledge gained during his printing apprenticeship to design this card as seen in the candy cane which printed on the front cover and inside was mirrored, to give the sense that it bled through the paper.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1983.
Larry leveraged the knowledge gained during his printing apprenticeship to design this card.
Christmas tree was hand drawn and photo was taken atop Starved Rock at the Illinois State Park in Ottowa, Illinois.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1982.
Larry leveraged the knowledge gained during his printing apprenticeship to design this card.
This was an example of "4/color process" using yellow, cyan, magenta and black to create a multitude of colors and in this case greens and red.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1981.
Larry was really diggin' the whole light table thing. The 1981 card instructed recipients to hold the card up to the light. Upon doing so, an individually hand-colored wreath appeared below a photograph of Larry and his wife, Karen.
Access to photos was nothing like it is today, and in a rush to find a photograph for the card, Larry chose an image taken a few years earlier — what he refers to as his and Karen's "Ma-Pa Kettle moment."
Cooke Christmas Card, 1980.
In the early 80s, the printing industry used frosted glass table tops to direct light through the underside of the table in order to perform certain functions in the printing process.
Layering a piece of tissue paper over a fireplace image on top of the glass, Larry used a technique called stipple with a rapidograph technical pen to trace the image.
Larry and his wife Karen performed the finishing touches — in this case, layering the image on top of a hand-torn silver sheet giving it a deckle edge, and finally gluing it to a piece of red card stock.
You couldn't find this at Hallmark.
Cooke Christmas Card, 1979.
Larry's printing company, Lake Printers (now Lake Media Services), used a state-of-the-art 1/color Heidelberg printing press that could register sheet after sheet perfectly. Paper entered the press hitting 2 head stops and the head stops could be moved incrementally.
The black tree printed first on white paper, then dark blue — but moved ever so slightly off-register to give the effect of snow sitting on the tree limbs.
According to Larry, this technique was the cat's meow!
Cooke Christmas Card, 1978.
Having received his sister Karen's uber creative "No El" Christmas card — a simple line illustration that she drew, featuring a lone individual on an empty platform in Chicago waiting for the El — Larry embarked on the unsuspecting 40 year journey of making his own Christmas cards.
Although the first card was his concept, ironically, Larry hired a designer to create the illustration.
